INDIANAPOLIS -- The Colts won’t be ranked 32nd in preseason power rankings. Barring an unfortunate setback, they won’t lose their head coach for a 12-game long fight with cancer.

So will the 2013 team have a harder time finding things to rally around?

Chuck Pagano met the media for the first time this offseason Friday at the NFL scouting combine and updated us on how he’s doing. (Click that link. There is some funny stuff in this news story.)

While I fear potential for a letdown simply because the extraordinary circumstances of last year won’t be duplicated, Pagano and general manager Ryan Grigson don’t think it’ll happen.

Pagano said he doesn’t believe his team will be lacking in motivation a year after shocking the NFL world with a playoff season.

“We know what the expectations are now, they’ve set high expectations for themselves, the bar is really high,” he said. “We’re just going to keep working the process and continuing to build the monster and move forward. We fully expect to back up last year with another great season.”

Perhaps a more normal year will allow the team to blossom in new and different ways.

“There is no doubt with Chuck being ill, it galvanized out team, it really brought us together, maybe sooner that in would have had he not,” Grigson said. “I just know this: We look for the same type of guys this year that we looked for last year. Guys that play snap to whistle, guys that buy into the philosophy and that’s just to play hard, be physical, do the right thing, get in our book …

“I feel like we’ve laid really as solid a foundation as possible because of what Chuck implemented on Day One. I think we’re in a good place in terms of our culture and our philosophy.”